A new public art sculpture has landed in Landcox Park as an important marker of healing and acknowledgement of Bayside's indigenous history.
The sculpture - Sovereign Tree by Robert Michael Young, a Gunnai, Waradjuri, Gunditjmara, and Yorta Yorta artist, will be launched during Reconciliation Week on 29 May 2024.
The artwork echoes the scar trees created by Aboriginal people by removing bark for various purposes.
"Aboriginal people removed bark from trees to make canoes, containers and shields and to build temporary shelters.
They also cut toe holds in trees to make them easier to climb. This allowed them to use trees as lookouts, hunt for possums or bee hives, and cut bark higher up in the tree. Sometimes trees were carved or decorated, but examples are rare in Victoria."*
Public art such as Sovereign Tree can invigorate public spaces and create a sense of place and community.
The artwork reflects the objectives of the Bayside Arts, Culture and Libraries Strategy 2023-2027 and Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2022-2024 to encourage support and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture in Bayside.
